Deployable Planar Antenna for Wearable Headset RF Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wearable cellular devices with thin form factors, such as ear-mounted headsets, face challenges in accommodating quad band antennas due to limited space, which can detune the antenna and affect wireless communication performance when a user's hand covers the device.
Innovation Solution
A deployable planar antenna rotatably supported by the housing, allowing it to assume various orientations, including being parallel or at an angle to the housing, improving RF performance and incorporating power control without increasing the device's thickness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the antenna is positioned near the user's head in a handheld device, then the device can be compact and portable, but the antenna performance deteriorates due to detuning and hand coverage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the antenna deployable rather than fixed. The antenna can be extended outward from the housing when needed for optimal RF performance, and retracted when not in use to maintain a compact form factor. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to adapt between compactness and performance requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dimensionality change by extending the antenna in a third dimension (outward from the housing face) rather than increasing the device's length or width. This allows the antenna to achieve optimal radiation characteristics without increasing the device's footprint or thickness.
2Reliability
If a deployable antenna is added to improve RF performance, then antenna performance improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the antenna with the housing structure, where the antenna is integrated into the housing rather than being a separate component. The antenna can be positioned within recesses or contours of the housing, combining structural support and RF functionality into a single integrated assembly, thereby reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The antenna is designed to be self-positioning through the housing's structural features. The housing contours and recesses guide the antenna into its deployed position automatically, eliminating the need for complex mechanical actuators or control systems. The antenna simply extends outward when needed and relies on the housing structure to maintain its position.
3Shape
If the antenna is made thin to match the headset profile, then ergonomics improve, but antenna performance deteriorates due to limited space for quad band operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the antenna deployable rather than permanently thin. When deployed, the antenna extends outward to provide sufficient space for quad band operation and optimal RF performance. When retracted, it maintains the thin profile for ergonomic comfort. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between thickness and performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses dimensionality change by extending the antenna in the direction perpendicular to the housing face, rather than increasing the thickness of the housing itself. This allows the antenna to achieve the necessary dimensions for quad band operation while keeping the device's overall thickness minimal for ergonomic wearability.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a wireless communication device capable of being positioned in a wearable position adjacent a user's head and including a deployable planar antenna rotatably supported by the housing. The antenna is configured to assume a plurality of orientations with respect to the housing, the plurality of orientations including an orientation being substantially parallel to the housing and one or more orientations being at an angle with respect to the housing. In one embodiment, each of the plurality of orientations coincides with at least one of the plurality of states of the device. A disclosed method of the device includes deploying a low profile planar antenna rotatably supported by the housing, the antenna being configured assume a plurality of orientations with respect to the housing and operating the device in one of the plurality of states depending upon the orientation of the antenna with respect to the housing.